Chapter Two: The Grand Meeting
He grabbed the tree branch, and used it to propel himself a little further, albeit he didn't move much. He didn't offer up my force to move his gargantuan body, so he just dropped to the ground and stayed there, panting. He wasn't as young as he used to be; Sannoto propped himself up against a tree, unraveled his bag and partook in its delicious contents: a nice bottle of sake, some instant ramen, and a few apples and oranges. It wasn't what he was used to, but she no longer resided in this world, or not right now. He was determined to get her back, at all cost, even if that meant leaping into hell himself. As he sat, eating his food, an ominous aura washed over him, but he didn't move despite its closeness. With pieces of apple being chewed in his mouth, Sannoto spoke, "I knew someone was following me." Slithers echoed from the forest behind him in all directions, before finally materializing a raspy mess of words, "Then you should know who I am." The voice was definitely unique, it sounded as if someone was scratchy a chalk board, and with an aura like this it belonged only to one ninja. For many, they cowered in fear when he introduced himself, and children ran to escape, and for those unable they found no other options but to kill themselves. Everyone knew about the abductions in these woods, thus very few trended deep into them. Sannoto had been warned about that prior to entering. "The villagers spoke about people disappearing in these woods," the Senju casually spoke, his tone displaying no signs of distress, nor his body as he continued eating his meal. "I didn't expect to run into the one responsible." A short silence flooded the scene, speaking for itself. "But, I can only assume that you aren't here to abduct me." "And how do you know that?" the voice quickly retorted, almost as if it was insulted. "Are you implying that I recognize that I can't abduct you? Or, do you just believe in the fact that you're an old farce and I don't take old farces?" Sannoto took a sip of his sake, giggling in response to the voice's statement. "No, no. It's none of those things at all. I just have faith that my uncle is mean enough to experiment on his nephew." The Senju heard a slithery laugh. "Now, why don't you come out the forest, and let me see your face? I want to see if time has been as cruel to you as it has for me." As Sannoto spoke, a shadow continued to step from the misty shadows of the forest until the figure was standing openly in the light. His pale skin, yellow slitted eyes, fang-like teeth, a tongue that reached to the ground, pronounced cheekbones, and that dangerously long hair, was all the same as it had been fifty and sixty years ago. "So," a large grin filled Sannoto's visage, "How are you, Uncle Orochimaru?" With a smirk of his own, he replied, "I think you know. Those villagers probably told you everything." "Well," the Senju started, "They told me about a ghost. They didn't speak of any regular ole shinobi. If i had known it was you, I wouldn't have prepared as much as I did." Orochimaru's head tilted slightly, "You....Prepare?" His question was more rhetorical than an actual inquiry. Everyone who knew Sannoto, even those who knew him a little, understood that he never prepared for anything. It was the reason why death had approached him so many times, despite his unfathomable strength. When one forgets to pack food, water, and extra clothes, then they'll fall regardless of whether or not they know every ninjutsu in the world. That's what everyone told Sannoto at least, and he never listened. It was only through sheer luck that he lived to the age that he was, so naturally, it came as a surprise that he actually prepared. Orochimaru was stunned, until he looked down: a bottle of sake, an instant ramen pack, and two apples and oranges. He facepalmed. "Please tell me you're not referring to your meal as being prepared." "Oh, yeah I—" A fist came crashing down upon the crown of his head, and then a gooey hand dripped down the front of his face. "Ew, what the? Uncle Orochimaru! Why?" Orochimaru snickered, pulling his hand back and watching as it molded back into shape. "Blame that stupid defense of yours. An uncle can't even properly discipline his nephew with that thing. I forgot all about that stupid thing." He shook his head in disappointment. "And to think you've changed. That meal isn't being prepared, Sannoto. If i were a ghost, what would a meal do?" "Well, when you think about it, ghost must be hungry since they haven't eaten in years right?" Orochimaru's grew slightly red. "I'm striking out here, aren't I?" "Yeah, you are." The Sannin sighed and paced away for a moment, hoping to garner some inner peace to restore his pale, porcelain complexion. The scene remained silent, as in Orochimaru took a break from the conversation, and Sannoto was too afraid to talk. The last time he talked back to Orochimaru didn't end well; he still hadn't forgotten how his body was a gooey mess of what was once muscle, skin, bone, and flesh. He was the only person that Sannoto knew that could actively render his metal useless with a single touch. Auto defense meant nothing to Orochimaru, and it was by the grace of god that he forgotten all about it when he struck the Senju earlier. Eventually, he spoke. "Why are you here anyway, Sannoto?" Finally, a question that he had a good answer for. His eyes flickered into life, a grin crept upon his lips, and he enthusiastically leaned upwards. "Oh, I'm trying to get to the Obito's lab!" he basically shrieked, and at that very instant he found the sannin's slimy, slithering hand mashed onto his mouth. Orochimaru scanned the surroundings, hushing Sannoto forcefully. "Don't. Ever. Say. That. Aloud." his tone was serious, even moreso than before. "You know that it's illegal to go to that lab nowadays. They have guards patrolling it. Well, what's left of it. The Gokage Alliance scavenged everything useful, and burned everything that posed a threat to them." Sannoto slid Orochimaru's hand from his mouth. "Or, so they say. I have intel that suggest otherwise, and I may argue that this source is awfully accurate. His methods are a bit..unorthodox if I may say so." "Even so," the snake sage chimed, "someone with your chakra signature can never sneak into that lab without being detected. They'd smell your chakra in an instant." He paused for a moment to gather some air. He was still slightly winded by Sannoto's sudden outburst; it was unexpected that his nephew, being the S-rank caliber shinobi that the world praised, was this much of an idiot. That, or he had gotten much stronger since the last time the two dueled. "What do you even want to venture there for anyway?" "I need an army, Uncle Orochimaru," he quickly retorted, hoisting himself to his feet. "One of your experiments have grown particularly interesting lately. He's a threat. I assume you know what happened to the Jomae Village." Sannoto eyes wandered away from his uncle's. "Well, my wife was in there. Her death prompted me to act, because, that village is just one out of the thousands he's going to claim. He needs to be stopped." Orochimaru's eyes darted side to side; he was partially to blame for these deaths. Afterall, had he not experimented with this child, or rather if he hadn't let him escape, then none of this would have ever occurred. Regardless, he had heard of the Jomae Village and cared very little for what happened, laughing at the horror that enveloped the town. But, Raido had overstepped a boundary. Though he was sadistic, he cared deeply for those he consider family. It is this courage that caused him to enter the battlefield and save his dear friend Tsunade even years after the latter tried to kill him. Orochimaru was furious that Sannoto's wife was taken, and a fire burned deep in his soul. However, he was bounded to his forest by his philosophy and nindō, and though he was known to be a compulsive liar he was a shinobi by nature; the one the a shinobi never does is betray his nindō. All he could offer were his words: "Stop on Otogakure on your way then, if you're serious about this. Pick up supplies, and prepare yourself Sannoto. You realize what you'll be. You won't be a hero. You'll be an enemy to the world. It's forbidden.." "The gods can forbid it themselves, and I wouldn't care. I'm going to stop raido at all cost." Sannoto began to walk away. "If the world hates me, then so be it. I guess i'd be apart of the family of criminals then." He gave him a pointed look.